Belt-tightener.



I Patented w, 3, I899. W. 0. DAVIES, IR. & B. HUGHE 1 v BELT TIGHTENER.3

(Apyiimtion filed my 28, 1898.) 1

(Na Iodei.)

WITNESSES I a 7 (A4, I

no: man PETERS 0O. moToLwuo" w'nsmuuwn. 04 c f 1 U E STATES:

PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM 0. DAVIES, JR, AND ROBERT HUGHES, OF CHICAGO, ILLINoIs.

BELT-TlG HTEN ER. I

, SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 634,055, datedOctober 3, 1899.

Application filed May 28, 1898. Serial No. 682,083. .(No model.)

To all whom it may concern: v

Be it knownthat we, WILLIAM O. DAVIES, Jr., and ROBERT HUGHES, citizensof the United States, residingat Chicago, in the county of Cook andState of Illinois, have jointly-invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Beltj-Tighteners; and we do hereby declare the-followingto be a description thereof sufliciently full, clear, and accurate toenable persons skilled in-the art to make and usethe same.

' The object of our invention is the production of a device for drawingtogether the ends of a belt which'shali be simple-inconstruction,easilyv manipulated, cheap in first cost, durable, efficient inoperation, adapted for application to belts in any position, and whichshall possess other desirable features and characteristics.

Our invention consists in certain novelties of construction and in thecombination and arrangements of parts and elements, one relative toanother, as hereinafter specified, and

' pair of clamping-bars being shown separated some distance each fromthe other. Figs. 2 and 3 illustrate opposite endsof a pair ofclamping-bars, the upper bar having at one end aclosed slot and at theother end an open slot. Fig. 4 shows the method of attaching the end ofone of the movable bars to an opcrating-lever.

Referring to the views, the letters A A designate two ratchet-bars; B B,ends of the bars; 0 C, tapering'slots in the ends; D D,

upper and lower teeth on the ratchet-bars;

E E, horizontal slotswith closed ends in the body of each bar; E E,perpendicular slots in the bars; F F, holes made in the ends of theratchet-bars which communicate with the horizontal slots E Eand theperpendicular V slots E E.

G G are movable bars; H H, tapering slots at the ends; I I, perforatedbearings at the opposite ends.

J J are operating-levers located in the slots E E; K K, upper pawls; LL, pins by which the pawls K K are pivoted to the lever; M M,

-1he lower pa-Wls; N N, weighted ends of the pawls; O 0, pins by whichthe pawls M M are pivoted to the levers at their lower ends; P P,

tion in the slotsyS S, closed slots in the upper bars; T T, open-endedslots in the upper bars, which allow the upper bars to move endwise andthe pairs of bars to be separated without removing the thumb-screws; UU, threaded perforations in the lower bars; V V,.thumbscrews; vV XV,strengthening ribs or webs integral with the clamping-bars.

The method of using our belt-tightener is as follows: The movable bars GG are first drawn out as far as possible and the clamping-bars Q Q movedso that the ends will occupy the widest parts of the slots inwhich theyare located. Then the two ends of the belt are inserted between theclamping-bars at opposite extremities of the tightener and thethumbscrews revolved, compressing the Finally.

body of the belt betweenthe bars. the operatingdevers are reciprocated,causing the bars G G to move in a direction parallel with theratchet-bars and at the same time to carry one end of the belt withthem. The slots 0 C and H H, within which the ends of the clamping-barsmove, being of a tapering form, as shown, oocasion a firmer grip of thesaid clamping-bars upon the belt as the tension'of the belt isincreased. Obviously under these conditions the belt cannot slip betweenthe bars.

From the foregoing it will be seen that we have produced an improvedbelt-tightener which is simple in construction, easily manipulated, andof great strength and light weight, which will draw the ends of a belttogether without the use of wrenches, threaded rods, or cranks andblocks of wood joined together by set-screws, whichwill grip the beltits full width, thereby advancing the ends of the belt squarely, whichis adapted to be usedin connection with both horizontal andperpendicular belts and without removing them from the pulleys, which isso constructed that ample-room is afforded for lacing or cementing theadjacent ends of the belt, which can be applied and operated by oneperson, which can readily be applied to any width or ply of belt, whichwill not cut or tear the belt, and which will not allow the belt to slipwhen being tightened Whether the same is oily or not, as the more thelevers are worked the tighter theclamps grip the belt.

we shall regard as falling within the scope of our claims. t

7 'What we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

' '1. Th'e'combination in a belt-tightener of ratchet-bars havingtaperingslots at the ends; movable bars having tapering slots at theends; operating-levers with attached pawls and pairs of clamping-barsadapted to fit the tapering slots in the ends of the ratchet-bars andmovable bars; whereby the members of each pair of clamping-bars will beforced toward each other as they move in the direction of the small endsof the tapering slots; in substance as set fort-h.

2. The combination in a belt-tightener of the clamping-bars; the movablebars; the ratchet-bars; and the'operating-levers having pawls; the saidmovable bars being pivoted to the operating-levers by pins which projectinto horizontal slots in the ratchet-bars and are guided by said slots;in substance as set forth.

3. The combination in a belt-tightener of the ratchet-bars A, A, havingends B, B, with slots 0, O, and upper and lower teeth D, D;operating-levers J, J, with pawls; movable bars G, G, having slots; andpairs of upper and lower clamping-barsQ, Q; in substance as set forth.

4:. The combination in a belt-'tightener, constructed substantially asdescribed, of pairs of clamping-bars each member of each pair of saidbars being beveled at the ends and bars having tapering'slots to'receivethe ends of the clamping-bars; substantially as and for the purposespecified.

5. The combination with a constructed substantially as described, ofmovable bars G, G; operating-levers; and ratchet-bars having holes F F;the bars G G being attached to the levers and moving in the holes of theratch et-bars; in substance as set forth.

6. The combination with a belt-tightener, constructed substantially asdescribed, of operating-levers and ratchet-bars having slots E and E;the said levers being located within the slots E and guided by suitablemeans in slots E; in substance as set forth.

7. The combination ina belt-tightener of two main bars; two bars movablerelative to the first-mentioned bars; operatinglever mechanisms attachedto the movable bars and guided by the main bars; and pairs of'clamping-bars adapted to grip the ends of a belt, the ends of one pair ofclamping-bars seenbelt-tightener,

gaging the movable bars that the end of the belt will be compressedbetween the clamp ing-bars with increased force as the belt isstretched; substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

8. The herein-described belt-tightener, consisting of two ratchet-barshaving teeth on their upper and lower sides; twooperatinglevers, 'eachhaving upper and lower pawls, said levers being combined with and guidedby the said ratchet-bars; two movable bars united at their ends to theoperating-levers; and pairs of clamping-bars located at the ends of thedevice and secured to the ratchet and movable bars; in substance as andfor the purpose set forth.

9. A belt-tightener, consisting of the fol-'

